Canned, by far. Also, I like raw pack compared to hot pack. They float more, but they taste fresher.

I find the frozen taste fresher (but I haven't tried raw pack---perhaps I will, after LL's recommendation!).

But canned in light syrup are quite nice, too, and I can some most years since there is only so much room in the freezer! For cooking & baking I think either would be fine.

Lucky you to have so many lovely peaches!

Z

I also like them both, for different uses.

I raw pack the canned ones, like LindaLou. Those I use for fruit salads or just to eat with yogurt for breakfast or dessert.

I freeze peach slices with no sugar to use in pies and cobblers, I like the consistency better than the canned ones. I slice the peaches into a bowl of water with some Vitamin C capsules opened up and added to the water, to prevent browning. I've also used Fruit Fresh, which I think is exorbitantly expensive, and lemon juice.

Annie

Thanks for the advice. I wasn't able to get the peaches today after all...they were sold out by the time I got there. Supposed to be more available within the next day or two, though, so keep your fingers crossed for me. ;-)

I think I've decided to can the peaches, sliced, in a light syrup. Thanks for the hint about the Fruit Fresh on top to prevent color change. I can't wait to get those peaches! I feel a little silly sometimes, getting so excited about produce. LOL

Two types, cling and freestone. Cling types are really difficult to remove stone, so it has to be cut away. The freestones are usually softer and have an easier removal of the stones. Once in a while you can come across a type that has cracked seeds inside. Kind of like a dentist removing bits of a bad tooth. They are always hard to get all teh broken bits out. In any case, both are dipped whole in boiling water a minute and then are immersed in cold. Usually skins fall right off, but if the peaches are underipe and show signs of green, the skins are very hard to remove. I had rto actually cook mine a few years ago, so the skins would loosen. I do raw pack and also add plenty of the ascorbic acid. Without it, and some kind of syrup (juice, water, sugar) covering all the peaches, they can go brown in no time. I also use the acid in making jams of peach, plum and apricot. Peaches seem to hold up better if they are canned while still partially ripe.

When I see sales on peaches. I buy one, open and taste it (AFTER PAYING!), and if its dry mealy to mushy, I pass it up. Even for that, I find that a cling seems to hold up better in a canning compared to a freestone. You can never easily tell the type it is, unless you slice one open. If its all the things I want, I go back in and get what I need. Fruit Fresh (ascorbc acid) on top surface of a packed jar, as well as in the syrup is a double measure oxidaton prevention. It will not affect taste or make any of the peaches sour.

One last point. Some peach types have stones with a small pointed 'flag' of stone shell not usually directly attached to the rest. These are usually at an end, so use care, as they do have a sharp point on the end and are not nice when poked in the mouth.

Annie, when I used frozen peaches to make a pie, the pie turned out horribly watery, the bottom crust a soggy, gluey mess. This doesn't happen to me using fresh or canned, so it isn't that I'm hopeless at making pies.

Do you defrost, then bake? Bake frozen?

Smear soft butter or margerine on the inside bottom crust up the sides. Bake pie in lower rack. Peaches, once even partially cooked will release about 50% of their juices. Adding either cornstarch or Clear Gel is always a good way to thicken while its baking. Freeze raw is OK, but you would precook the filling with a starch before filling a shell. Making all as fresh and then freeze, will simply give watery goo once it starts to eventually thaw and then start to actually bake..
Food chemistry here I come..

I was given a load of cling-type peaches from a co-worker's tree. They canned up very nicely, I was surprised! They were ugly little things but tasty :) Lori

Clings are the most common type you see in cans in stores too. They must have some serious machine that can slice off the stones.

I'm so excited! I just went and picked up my bushel of peaches! I haven't even checked to see if they're freestone or cling, but they are beautiful peaches and perfect for canning. Still firm, none overripe.

I should have done this earlier, but I'm about to put my jars in the dishwasher and go buy my lids and Fruit Fresh. I've canned so much this year I'm running short on supplies. Might as well pick up some more jars while I'm there. :) It's a good thing to go ahead and stock up...the pears will be ready soon enough.

Rachelellen, I thaw the peaches, then make pie. I use the peaches straight from the freezer for cobbler, but for pie I thaw the peaches, add my sugar and flour (and usually a bit of cinnamon) and cook it until it's thick. Then I put it into the crust and bake.

I know Readinglady makes her pies and freezes them but I don't have enough freezer room to do that.

For some reason if I used canned peaches to make peach pie, they seem soft and overcooked. LOL To each their own, according to taste.

Annie

I like adding ginger to my peach pies. NOt powder, but the chopped crystalized type.

I realize that not everyone has this opportunity, BUT if there is a peach packing house close, you can save some money.

I visited one in SC 2 weeks ago and bought "ripe" peaches for $18 a bushel. They were boxed and loaded in my truck.

Bought 2 bushels 'cause my eyes were definitely bigger than my ability. Wound up giving away that last half bushel. Phew!

Mom & I used to go get "culls" right off the packing line, but that's no longer allowed -- safety regs.

I do have to disagree on the "watery goo." I don't precook my peach filling and do freeze pies (though like Annie I doubt I'll have room for it this season) unbaked.

I've had no problems with soggy bottom crusts, separated filling or any of the other difficulties that might be possible. If anything, freezing makes for a more tender, flakier crust.

However, I am using ClearJel. I've also used tapioca + flour with good results. I've not had as good a luck freezing with a 100% flour thickening. I think Annie's suggestion of pre-cooking would be a good one in that instance.

Carol

Freezer Flo, another modified food starch seems ot work well with high acid and freezing at the same time. Its found on the web, but hard to get sometimes. Works like Clear Jel, but has better stabilty if frozen, thawed, and refrozen. I used it in my meat pies and even though most of the veggies were left frozen and mixed into the 'gravy' sauce which was then thickened with the Freezer Flo. Without it, In would usually get watered down gravy once it all started to thaw and bake. Flour and tapioca seem not to hold up very well once frozen.

One step no one seemed to mention is that when you buy peaches if they are still hard place them in a paper bag no more than 2 deep for a day or two in your basement or a dark dry cool (no refridgerator) place. This will ripen the peaches enough to make removing the pits easier. I always buy my peaches a few days before I am going to can them, I sort them by how hard they are and refridgerate or bake a pie or cobbler with the very ripe ones.

When canning, also no one mentioned, spiced peaches!!! This is all anyone in my family wants, plus I also dice them into bite size pieces and raw pack in an extra light syrup. I steep "whole" cloves & cinnamon sticks in the extra light syrup, with Fruit Fresh added, and also add a couple of cloves to the top of the jars before sealing. This year I bought star anise to try, and I'm going to try brandied peaches too. I didn't can brandied cherries so I'll use peaches instead.

Sometimes a slightly under ripe peach will hold up better to canning, but thats all up to the person who loves peaches. Here, all 'three' of my very green, unripe, peaches were all chewed open by some varmint out there. The tree is young, and has 4 diffeerent grafts of peach, apricot, and two plum types The remaining plums look a bit better and higher up on the tree. The varmint also was able to get a single apricot that was the last to ripen. VERY soon one of my apple trees will be ready to pick, a very early variety! Star anise is quite strong, use sparingly! Fruit Fresh is also known as Ascorbic acid, and is very necessary for both canning and freezing peaches and apples. I like crystalized ginger finaly minced.

Amaretto Peach Honey

Peel, pit and blenderize (not FP) fresh ripe peaches. Add an equal amount of sugar by volume. Cook mixture to thicken but not to jell point. It should still be pourable, about the consistency of honey. Stir in 1/4-1/3 cup Amaretto. Try not to consume it all immediately.

Whatever you've managed not to eat can be bottled and processed BWB as per jam.

Recipe from Barb on rec.food.preserving.

Carol